This invention relates generally to pet foods and, more particularly, to a process for making a dry, stable intermediate pet food composition.
Pet food compositions are subject to deterioration in transit, although deterioration is not usually a problem as long as the finished product is not shipped over long distances. However, many manufacturers in the United States recognize a growing demand for premium and super-premium pet food products in developing international markets. Typically, within such markets, manufacturers have not installed the full capacity (meat slurry) plant systems which are required to process the pet food compositions. Thus, to meet the demand, manufacturers face the choice of exporting finished product over long distances from existing full capacity plants, or investing in full capacity plants in the newly opened markets.
Manufacturers who choose to export finished product over long distances face a risk of product loss due to deterioration during shipping, handling and storage. Further, the time between placement and filling of regional orders is extended. In shipping from a distant full capacity plant system, manufacturers also have less flexibility in meeting the demands and regulations of local markets. Specifically, exporting manufacturers are at a disadvantage in adapting product packaging and marketing to local languages, marketing preferences, and in meeting local quality and packaging standards.
One solution is for manufacturers to install, within local markets, full capacity plant systems with the ability to make finished product for local distribution. However, this option is of course very costly and involves significant financial risk for the manufacturer. Another option is to co-manufacture product at local installations which have meat-handling capability. However, this approach has the disadvantage of requiring the manufacturer to divulge proprietary processing details to sources outside the organization.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method which allows pet food manufacturers to meet the demands of international markets for premium and super-premium pet foods without having to export finished product. It would also be desirable to provide such a method which minimizes the financial risk associated with capital investment in local markets. It would be further desirable to provide such a method with flexibility in the finishing process to allow customization of finished product to the demands of local markets. It would be still further desirable to provide such a method which allows manufacturers to customize product packaging to the demands of local markets. It would be yet still further desirable to provide such a method which allows the manufacturer to reach local markets without divulging proprietary processing details to sources outside the manufacturer's organization.